The restructuring events database contains factsheets with data on large-scale restructuring events reported in the principal national media and company websites in each EU Member State. This database was created in 2002.
Transportation / Storage Land, Water And Air Transportation Land Transport And Transport Via Pipelines 49.41 - Freight transport by road
649 jobs Number of planned job losses
Announcement Date
5 September 2022
Employment effect (start)
12 September 2022
Foreseen end date
31 December 2022
Description
The commercial court of Bobigny has declared the liquidation of the French subsidiary of the British group Fast Despatch Logistics (FDL), which employed 649 people at nine sites in France. The data on the number of employees comes from the labour inspectorate. The parcel distribution company had a single client, the American online retail giant Amazon, which terminated the commercial contract with FDL on 9 August 2022.
While the social climate within FDL had hardened this winter due to initial rumours of asset transfers to other countries, the decision to liquidate was triggered by the non-payment of salaries in July and the company's announcement that it would cease all activities after the termination of the contract with Amazon. The online retail giant blamed FDL for not complying with the Amazon Supplier Code of Conduct.
The works council said it had 'evidence that the company removed the trucks on 13 August and repatriated them to the Belgian subsidiary, which constitutes a misappropriation of the few assets of the French subsidiary'. The staff representatives asked 'the public authorities to initiate the necessary criminal proceedings to punish these clear criminal offences by the FDL company'.
Eurofound (2022), Fast Despatch Logistics, Closure in France, factsheet number 107419, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/107419.
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